Symptom-modifying slow-acting drugs in the treatment of osteoarthritis: from molecule to clinical effect (a pharmacologist's view)

The paper systematizes data on the pharmacokinetics, molecular and cellular mechanisms of action of chondroprotectors (CPs), by using chondroitin sulfate (CS) and glucosamine (GA) as an example. It presents current ideas about the mechanisms of their absorption and penetration into the joint tissues during oral administration, the effect of CS on the cytoplasmic membrane of chondrocytes in osteoarthritis (OA). The paper also describes the plastic and regulatory functions of GA at the intracellular level after its penetration into the cells by glucose carriers. The combination of benefits from targeted and metabolic therapy determines the efficacy of combined CPs, the active principle of which is CS and GA.